Why do we need it?

To take account of the inter-connectedness of industries and human activities centred on the sea. Whether the issue is shipping and ports, wind energy, marine research, fishing or tourism, a decision in one area can affect all the others. For instance, an off-shore wind farm may disrupt shipping, which in turn will affect ports.

To save time and money by encouraging authorities to share data across policy fields and to cooperate rather than working separately on different aspects of the same problem.

To build up close cooperation between decision-makers in the different sectors at all levels of government – national maritime authorities, regional and local authorities, and international authorities, both inside and outside Europe. Many countries are recognising this need and move towards more structured and systematic collaboration.

Marine and maritime agenda - The Limassol Declaration

A Marine and Maritime Agenda for Growth and Jobs was adopted on 8 October 2012 by European Ministers for maritime policy and the European Commission, represented by President Jose Manuel Barroso (speech) and Commissioner Maria Damanaki (speech), at a conference in Limassol organised by the Cypriot Presidency. Five years after the launch of the EU Integrated Maritime Policy, the Member States and the Commission reaffirmed that a dynamic and coordinated approach to maritime affairs enhances the development of the EU's 'Blue Economy' while ensuring the health of seas and oceans.

Funding opportunities

The EU provides funding for the political priorities for the Integrated Maritime Policy expressed by the Commission, the Council and the European Parliament under Regulation 508/2014. The funding is implemented through:

A new European Commission report shows that EU Member States have made considerable efforts to address pressures on the marine environment. Despite this, the measures are not yet sufficient to achieve good, healthy and productive seas by 2020.